Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 29, 2020)

Sachin Pilgaonkar has spent over five decades years in showbiz, having started right from the age of four as a National Award-winning child artiste. Naturally, the actor-director is privy to a lot of changes the industry has gone through over the years. “Change is the only permanent thing in this world, and in the industry, it has been for the better and worse; it can’t be one way. You are on a highway driving, is only your side of the road busy and not the other? It has to be both ways,” Pilgaonkar quips.

What does he make of the nepotism and outsider-insider debate? He says all this would be discussed before too, just not in the same terms. “We all had to go through this, including me, who is not a star’s son. That does not mean I lost confidence in what I am. I started off as a child actor, then became director and writer, too... I’m here to learn. The only difference is earlier I’d learn from my seniors; now I’m learning from my juniors,” he shares.

What hasn’t changed, however, is the fast pace of the industry, and how fates change every Friday. Pilgaonkar, who has been a part of both Hindi and Marathi cinema, says he has seen it all happen.

“I am a very observant guy. Every Friday, the guests at film industry’s parties would change. I’ve seen that with my own eyes. It’s not hidden from anybody in the industry. Everyone has a good and bad day, one has to be prepared for that... When we look at the world and see what is going on, it’s nobody’s fault... Even now (amid the pandemic) people who are dying, it’s not their fault. These things happen. We are human beings; we have to face it. Compared to all that, our industry’s so called calamities, mishap, flops, failures are too small,” says the 63-year-old.

Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 25, 2020)

Shriya Pilgaonkar turns a year older today, and this year, her prayer and wish is for “all of us all to overcome the Coronavirus pandemic”. “The last three birthdays have been on a set and I have been grateful to be working on my birthday. But this year, I am happy to be home with my family. The pandemic has made me realise that there are so many basic things which we take for granted. I am aware of the privileges that I have and I did my bit by donating. There won’t be much of a birthday celebration but dad [Sachin Pilgaonkar; actor] is going to cook a dish for me.”

Prior to the lockdown, the actor was constantly travelling and so the first week of staying home was about chilling, spending time with family, reading and watching content. “Doing chores at home takes up a lot of the day and now, there is even more gratitude towards all the help we have. I didn’t want a sense of lethargy to kick in so, I took a course on screenwriting,” she says.

As the pandemic has affected every industry, Pilgaonkar feels that today, people are trying to be creative in their own way. “I enjoyed performing a play online called Lockdown Lovers, produced by Roshan Abbas. We performed it live and that was an experience like no other. We are also working on another series. But I think, it will be a while before things get back to normal as priority today, is to be safe. So, we will have to pull through in these times,” she says.

Stage, TV, film actress Reema Lagoo succumbed to cardiac arrest in Mumbai
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 19, 2017)

It’s past noon on Thursday. Mahesh Bhatt has just left Reema Lagoo’s residence after paying his last respects to the actress who close to midnight had called her relatives complaining of uneasiness and was rushed to a suburban hospital where she succumbed to a heart attack at around 3 am.

“She walked into the hospital herself. She had no history of heart diseases and was only suffering from a throat infection. This is such a shock!” exclaims the inconsolable filmmaker who’d first worked with her in the musical Aashiqui in which she played Rahul Roy’s mother who brings him up alone after her husband leaves them. She then went on to play mother to love child Ajay Devgn in Naajayaz. More recently, Bhatt convinced her to be a part of a daily soap, Naamkarann, on the assurance that the tone and tenor of her character, Dayawanti Mehta, would be set by him, and he’d oversee the project on a daily basis.

“Last August, I came out of retirement to direct her introduction scene in Naamkarann with the permission of the director. The sound of her breath in that scene still haunts me. She was the heartbeat of the show and the young writers marvelled at how she brought that something special to the screen. She was working 12 hours a day, how did this happen?” he wonders.

Shreyas Talpade is equally shocked having read her post on a whatsapp group at 12.30 am on Tuesday. He had worked with her in the ’90s, as an assistant director on the pilot of a TV series. “She didn’t treat me any differently when I became an actor, always enquiring about my family and inviting me home,” he shares.

Archana Puran Singh informs that Reema herself was extremely close to her own family and would ensure that she was back home in time for dinner so she could make the chapatis herself. The two had worked together in the madcap comedy, Shrimaan Shrimati, and Archana asserts that in real life Reema reflected the person she was on screen—warm, lovable and good-natured. She however confides that initially Reema wasn’t comfortable. “I told her to give it one episode and she’d love it. After we wrapped up the first episode, she admitted she’d never enjoyed herself as much. Despite her initial reservations she was effortlessly brilliant as Kokiji. It was tragic when Jatin Kanakia passed away, now Reema is gone,” she sobs.

Another sitcom which is unforgettable is Tu Tu Main Main which her childhood friend, Sachin Pilgaonkar, acted in and directed. It also featured his wife, Supriya, who played Reema’s daughter-in-law. “It became a real big thing and her contribution was immense. Tu Tu Main Main is one of the most memorable experiences of my life,” he says, too overwhelmed to continue.

Veteran actress Bharti Achrekar’s bond with her dated back to three decades even though they only worked together in one play, Lagnachi Bedhi. “Sadashiv Amrapukar, Suhas Joshi and Tanuja were all part of the cast. It was for a social cause and played all over Maharashtra. We were a part of a close circle in the Marathi industry,” she informs.

Juhi Chawla who had a few scenes with Reema in Aziz Mirza’s Yes Boss, remembers that she used to be so busy with theatre and her travels that whenever she had a break between shots, she’d snatch 40 winks and return, refreshed.

“I recently bumped into her at an awards function after a long time. When she learnt that I’m associated with certain social causes, she told me she’d love to do anything associated with children,” Juhi reminisces, adding that she loved watching her most in Sooraj Barjatya’s films.

Bhagyashree who worked with her in Sooraj’s directorial debut, Maine Pyar Kiya, recalls the scene featuring Salman Khan, Reema who played his mother at 31, and her together. In it the actress asks her, “Mere pagle Prem ki Suman banegi?” “It was one of the first scenes we shot together. There was so much love and tenderness in her voice that it actually made me cry. And yet I will remember her as a woman with a smile that made her eyes twinkle,” she maintains.

Kajol who shared the screen with her in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha and Yeh Dillagi, was one of the first to reach the Oshiwara crematorium even before the body arrived. She could not hold back her tears after paying her last respects and hurried away without speaking to anyone. But Farah Khan who choreographed the two in the song “Saajanji ghar aaye” in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, insists that Reema always brought a happy, positive energy with her to the sets. “She was beautiful and joked that she was too young to play a mother. Today, I’ll say that she was too young to go. It’s really sad,” Farah says emotionally.

A few days before she passed away, Bhatt had shared with her a video from one of the many inspirational Ted Talks. It was about a plane crash survivor who, when faced with the prospect of imminent death, realises that everything can change in an instant, one shouldn’t have any regrets and postpone anything for the morrow. “I thought of all the people I wanted to meet, all the fences I wanted to mend and all the things I wanted to change,” he says. Reema responded, saying “This was beautiful, timely and so very relevant.”

Remembering their last exchange, Bhatt rues that he couldn’t make it to the Naamkarann sets. “We said goodbye over the phone with the promise to meet again. We keep thinking we have time but forget that none of us are sure there’s a tomorrow. That’s the essence of life,” he asserts. “The image of her lying there as I showered rose petals on her feet, so cold, silent and lifeless, and the memories of the warm woman so full of life, are two different streams that are impossible to reconcile.”

—With inputs from Natasha Coutinho
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Saif Ali Khan recalls screen mom

I’m sad to hear about dear Reemaji who played my mother in Yeh Dillagi, my first hit film in the ’90s. She was a wonderful actress and a lot of fun on set. Akshay (Kumar) and I used to pass her love notes that we’d written and pretend that Saeed Jaffrey saab was writing them. Her reaction was amusing! She was so kind and patient with me. I can’t believe she passed away at such a young age. Anything can happen at anytime to any of us. My condolences to her family...

Saif and Reema also worked togther in Hum Saath Saath Hain and Kal Ho Na Ho

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 19, 2017)

In their new web series, Sex Chat With Pappu And Papa, Y Films is giving Indian audiences a sex education lesson with a fun twist
Aastha Atray Banan (MID-DAY; July 17, 2016)

"When Ashish Patil [head of Y Films] came and told us why he wanted to make a show about the embarrassing questions a child asks, he had a personal anecdote to narrate,” says Anand Tiwari, who plays Anand Watsa or Papa in Y Films’ Sex Chat With Pappu And Papa. He came home one day and found his son jumping on the bed saying f***, f***, f***… over and over again. His wife told him that their son had heard her saying it on the phone and had been parroting it ever since. “Kids today are so smart and have so many questions. This series will try and answer some of them sensitively and without making anyone cringe,” he says.

Sex Chat with Pappu And Papa, that debuts on Y Films’ YouTube channel on Tuesday, tells the tale of the Watsa family, where Tiwari as Papa and Kabir Sajid as Punit or Pappu are planning to give India a fun sex education chat. Shot in 10 days, the show of five episodes also stars Sachin Pilgaonkar as Vishwanath Watsa, who is daddu, and who also gets an education along the way. They talk about issues that all children have questions about — masturbation, the origin of babies, periods and homosexuality — in an easy and uncomplicated way.

“Why we cast Kabir, who is just seven years old, is because times have changed. Children as young as him are exposed to all that’s around them in a de-sensitised manner, so they need to know about all this,” says Tiwari. But Sajid, who you will have seen in advertisements and the Shahid-Alia starrer Shaandaar, had no clue what they were chatting about. “That’s because we didn’t want to disturb the acting process too much. When he watches it later, he will get it,” says Tiwari. Sajid says with a grin, “I didn’t understand anything. I just spoke the dialogue. But, how did he mouth the dialogues in such a believable way if he didn’t know head or tail of what they were talking about? “That’s because I am very serious about acting,” Sajid says matter-of-factly, and everyone cracks up.

His mother, Shireen, who is accompanying him, explains, “I am a biology professor and have taught at the university. You wouldn’t believe it, but most of the time college students don’t even know the basics of the reproductive system. So, when I read the script, I knew there was a need for such a show. I too have two sons, and I relate to this.”

Sajid may have not understood the lines he was spouting, but he has asked his mom some of the questions that the show hopes to tackle — like where do babies come from and what are sanitary napkins used for, which Shireen described tactfully as “adult diapers for ladies”. “So, we had a conversation where I told him what the show was about and that right now, all he needed to worry about was remembering the lines. That’s all,” says Shireen, who got a lot of calls from concerned parents who watched the trailer and were aghast that she had allowed her son to do the show. “I told them that as educated parents, we should be talking to our kids about sex and sexual habits."

At this point, Tiwari says, “That’s why the tagline of the show is ‘sharmane ki kya baat hai’. Ever since we released the trailer a few days ago, we have been inundated with comments such as ‘now we can just make our kids watch this!’” Tiwari shares that the show, though directed at the teenage and young adults, will help everyone. For example, in the episode that deals with homosexuality, we deal with the grandfather’s bias too and both Pappu and Daddu get a lesson in how homosexuality is not wrong at all.”

And, in the episode on masturbation, though the focus is on the male habit, they do admit that women do it, too. Tiwari laughs, “Of course, we do! It’s about each and every one of us.”

There's no 'tu tu main main' at this actors' homestead. Instead it's dad, mom and daughter's fortress of support
Udita Jhunjhunwala (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 20, 2016)

Sachin and Supriya Pilgaonkar protectively flank their 26-year-old daughter Shriya on the couch in their Andheri home. Supriya has returned from the shoot of her daily soap Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi, while Shriya is ramping up for the release of her first Hindi film. It's the kind of banter you expect between friends — after all, Supriya was only 21 years old when she became a mother. She met her future husband, 11 years her senior, on the sets of her first film Navri Mile Navryala.

So what was it like growing up in a home with such accomplished parents? "I was aware, but it was not overwhelming. We are simple people essentially, so it was not a filmy household. I knew my parents were great at what they did and loved their work. I had been to film sets and there was always that conversation. But they were good parents — they were always there. They balanced their work and parenthood beautifully," says Shriya. "The only time I felt a little awkward was when Tu Tu Main Main was at its peak."

The next time her parents' professional commitment stressed Shriya out was in 2005, when Sachin and Supriya partnered up for Nach Baliye — and won! "Whenever Shriya, as a child, participated in any function or event, Supriya went along as her guardian. But during all the episodes of Nach Baliye, Shriya was there as our guardian," says actor-producer-director Sachin. Shriya adds, "I was stressed out of my mind. I had seen how hard they worked. And when they won, I had tears in my eyes. But they were tears of relief. I was so glad it was over!" Shriya made her big screen debut in 2013 in Ekulti Ek, a Marathi film directed by and co-starring her father. Watching Shriya on stage in a play entitled Freedom of Love, Sachin spotted a spark, and decided to pitch the idea of a father-daughter story to Shriya. "The first thing she said was, 'I would like to read the script'. Being our daughter, it was evident she would do such a thing. That was the only thing I did with her, and not for her."

She went on to act in the French film Un + Une and now makes her entry into Bollywood. Out in the professional world, Shriya doesn't reveal her antecedents unless asked and, like many hopeful girls, auditioned for for an upcoming film, unbeknownst to her parents. "I get stressed out when she goes for auditions," says mother Supriya. "As an actor, I didn't have to struggle much. I do the work that comes to me. Here she is going to ask for work and that too, through auditions."

The parents say they did not have an inkling that Shriya was attracted to acting nor did they encourage her to follow in their footsteps. "I always wanted to see what she wanted to do. She was a competitive swimmer — she represented Maharashtra state. She was doing well in her Sociology course at Xavier's College. She only started showing signs of becoming an actor after graduation," says Sachin. The Geet Gaata Chal and Nadiya Ke Paar actor admits that while he was surprised by her interest, he was also supportive. "Because I know she will do whatever she does with seriousness. She is not fickle, like her mother. In this way she is more like me."

Married for 30 years, Sachin and 'Super', as he refers to his wife, share a mutual respect as parents and professionals and bicker about typical issues: he leaves his things lying around; she puts them in different places and he cannot find them. "If she tells me one thing, I remember it for life; but even after 30 years, I have been unable to get her to change her habit of leaving the bedroom door open," says Sachin. Shriya listens to her parents' quibbles and mutters, "This is all so boring and predictable!" Supriya recalls a time when they were shooting for Tu Tu Main Main. "I like to pull his leg sometimes." Sachin interrupts, "One day, she told the unit that they should make a resolution to start shooting at 7 am and pack up by 2 pm. She made everyone sign that paper and sent it to me. She told the production manager not to tell me that she has done it. But she forgot that I can recognise her handwriting, because it's the same handwriting in which she used to write love letters to me."

Performance and the stage are in Shriya's genes. And while Supriya ensured that her only child stayed grounded, in reality Shriya's path was predestined. "I believe you understand whether you want to do something or not if you enjoy the hard work. When I was on stage I had the thought that this is where I am supposed to be." As a child Shriya often visited her parents on their sets. But as a swimmer she had short, cropped hair, a look she says her parents took advantage of. "They were so mean. Because I had short hair they made me play the neighbourhood boy Bittu on the show, who would ask for some achaar or something."

In a household with three busy working members, when do the Pilgaonkars find time for each other? "At any given point in time we are in touch with each other through our phones. Our WhatsApp family group is called 'Besties'," says Supriya. "Trekking in Himachal was one of our favourite trips together. Last year all three of us we went to America for the fall colours." Sachin adds, "When together, we share stories, poetry, we laugh a lot and Shriyu and I are serious foodies too."

Last year, Sachin reinvented himself in the role of classical singer Khansaheb Aftab Hussain Bareliwale in Katyar Kaljat Ghusali, a part that earned him much acclaim. The 58-year-old actor says, "After I became an adult hero, I was in a zone. Then suddenly in 2013 I get this film. I had to get out of one zone — of having a hero image — and went into a different zone to reinvent myself. One can get stuck in one's own mindset." Shriya was overwhelmed watching her father's transformation and found observing a fellow artiste's process exciting. "I feel ambitious enough to think that I can be as multi-talented as my father," she adds.

While her parents have never imposed their views on her, Shriya has learnt plenty through observing their demeanour. "From him, I have learnt the art of listening as an actor and the art of communicating as a director. I have learnt to respect everyone on set, from the spotboy to the producer. The only thing they have ever told me is do whatever you want do to with conviction, and have a good time."